The Boston Celtics have successfully built off their NBA Championship and look just as dangerous through the early parts of this season. They hold a record of 15-3 and will face their next test against the 8-12 Chicago Bulls.
Reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown has also picked up right where he left off and is averaging 25.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists so far this year.
Boston enters this matchup with a clean bill of health, with only Luke Kornet on the injury report and listed as probable. For the Bulls, Patrick Williams will be out due to a foot injury, while Coby White, Dalen Terry and Jalen Smith are questionable, although each did participate in this morning’s shootaround.
The Celtics enter this game as 11.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bulls are +490 underdogs on the moneyline with the game total set at 243.5 points.
Jaylen Brown Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook has set Jaylen Brown’s prop lines for points (24.5), rebounds (5.5), assists (3.5), made three-pointers (2.5) and combined points, rebounds and assists (34.5).
Points have not been difficult to come by for the Boston Celtics this year. They are producing 120.2 points per game which ranks third in the NBA. Boston is attempting 50.6 three-point attempts per game which is the most in the NBA, with there being a 6.2 attempt gap between the Celtics and the Hornets in second place. In addition, they rank third in offensive efficiency, third in true shooting percentage and ninth in three-point percentage.
This is bad news for a Bulls team that has struggled defensively. Chicago ranks dead-last in opponent scoring output, giving up 123.6 per game. They also are 28th in defensive efficiency, 30th in assists allowed, 23rd in three-point attempts given up and 25th in points allowed in transition.
This will be the first matchup between the Bulls and Celtics this season. Across the 23 games in his career, Brown has averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in matchups against Chicago. However, many of these matchups were before Brown blossomed into the superstar he currently is.
The biggest concern with betting a prop in any direction in this game is the risk of a blowout. Chicago ranks 25th in average scoring margin at -5.6 on the season. They have lost by 10-plus points in nine of their 12 losses this year, including losing by as many as 36 points.
However, I expect a focused effort from Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics, who have been off since Monday. Brown is having one of his best statistical seasons, which includes a career-high in assists at 4.4 per game and the second-most points and rebounds per game of his career at 25.0 and 6.6, respectively.
With the Bulls allowing the most points, most assists and fifth-most rebounds on the season, look for Brown to be active in the box score from start to finish. The three-time All-Star has recorded over 34.5 points, rebounds and assists in 10 of the 14 games he has played this season. He also has averaged 37.3 combined points, rebounds and assists across his past seven games, hitting the over in five of these matchups.
With the game total set at a whopping 243.5 points, there is expected to be plenty of opportunity for offense. The Celtics go as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum take them and I expect a concentrated approach from the opening tip. While I also like the over for his scoring prop, we are rolling with the over of 34.5 combined points, rebounds and assists for this game to allow the flexibility of Brown to impose himself as the game script dictates.
The Pick: Over 34.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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